Amtrak is preparing to field-test café cars with built-in bike racks on several lines, including the Ethan Allen Express and the Vermonter.

“The demos are really just to see how these prototypes work and get feedback,” said Amtrak spokesman Clifford Cole.

Little information was available, including the dates of the tests.

Amtrak offers walk-on bicycle service on only a handful of lines. Otherwise, bicycles may be checked as baggage on certain lines, and folding bicycles may be brought aboard as carry-on luggage on any line.

However, adding such service offers the prospect of locals being able to get on the train in Vermont and get off in New York, Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., bicycling their way from the station instead of relying on cabs or the subway.